Sakha's national sport mas-wrestling heads for a world championship in Kazan: 53 countries have applied, Türkiye to field a full team for the first time

The 8th World Championship in mas-wrestling, the national sport of the Sakha (Yakut) people, will be held on 28–29 November at the Ak Bars arena in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. In an interview on 28 October, Gennady Vasilyev, director of Yakutia's Republican Center of National Sports, said 53 countries have applied so far, a record for the championship; applications are still open.

About 200 athletes are expected to compete. Vasilyev named Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Pakistan and Hungary among the strong teams. Türkiye used to send two or three athletes but will field a full team for the first time; Turkmenistan will also bring a full squad, while India and Egypt will send large delegations.

The event has been granted “especially significant event” status by Russia's Ministry of Sport and is organised with the support of Tatarstan's leadership. An international scientific and practical conference on the development of mas-wrestling will run alongside the bouts, with doctors of science and professors from several countries taking part.

The Russian team consists mostly of Yakutian athletes under head coach Aisen Atastyrov, and its goal is first place overall. The Kazan championship will bring athletes from Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Hungary and Sakha onto the same mat in a traditional Turkic sport.